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Predictions AR State Championships Phase I

4.0 Men:
Thought I would know more of these guys but truly don't recognize many of them.
Rogers/Scott appears to be the clear favorite and with their toughest competition not allowed into the tournament they should roll pretty good.
Expect Synco holding down the singles lines, David Lord playing top of the Doubles with multiple partners.
Appears toughest match will be the first one against NWA.

Fort Smith has 2 teams (3 team league)
NWA has 2 teams (1st and 3rd Place)
CLR only 1 Team WTF!!!
Where the hell is Jonesboro who are always staples of 4.0 State?

No Mid-season hurt CLR this year as they only got one team in even though their 2nd Place team is better IMO than the other teams outside of Rogers/Scott. Of course no mid-season also meant no late season tanking could be done, see their is a benefit.

So predict:
1: CLR: Rogers/Scott 2: WATA: Nelligan 3: NWA: Harris 4: WATA: Tran 5: NWA: Baird

4.5 40+ Men
This is easily Birch's to lose, would take a miracle or injuries for the other teams to pull it out.
Birch should cruise if all players are their. they have the best singles in Sixbey and Derevyanik
Also they have Laferney who will be tough at the #2 slot
The doubles of course can be tough to predict as Ft Smith has some good doubles players, but having to win all 3 doubles lines is a tough task.
Robinson is in the same boat, he has good doubles but no horses that can take a singles line against Birch, again tough to take all 3 doubles lines.

Prediction: 1: CLR: Birch, 2: CLR: Robinson 3: WATA: Cox

The 5.0 Men has already been decided and of course was a joke as one team was only there for the tanking, no one can argue that fact just look at the scores. Also rumor of score manipulation as well, not just my observation but have heard it from others, but in ATA community the captain is apparently beyond reproach, but years of following usually shows where there is smoke there is fire. They just need to come out and be honest their team was made to get all their players back down to 4.5 for 2016. No use denying unless you are being a politician.

Wyatt Miller has a solid team that could do well at Sectionals. He has solid doubles with Martin Kajevski, Matt Jones and a solid 5.5 in Ramirez will make them a tough out.

State of Adult Tennis: Very sad to only see 5 teams in 4.0 draw when 5-6 years ago their was 11 teams at State. Only 3 4.5+ Teams and 2 5.0 Teams. So what is going on? Are players tired of the tanking? What can ATA and STA do, because apparently changes made in the last 5 years is killing off Adult League Tennis at least on the men's side. Do the seasons need to be spread out? Having 18, 40, and 55's all at same time is tough for anyone., then going right into MXD and Combo gives no down time. Are entry fees to pricey? $30 to play 1-2 matches, usually x2 when mid-season is played. Many of the same players are also on 2-3 other teams so gets expensive to play tennis in Arkansas.

What are the solutions?

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